The Book thread...

Post by **system** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:44 pm

mrj wrote:
The Mixtress wrote:Tolkien's got a new book out. Quite the feat since he's been dead for over 30 years

Not really. Drum and Bass has been dead for years (apparently) and yet heaps of stuff has been released since.

especially when his children are still alive, needing cash and able to remember their bedtime stories.

gnat · Post by **gnat** » Mon May 07, 2007 4:02 pm

now reading: love is a mix tape

i love the idea of this: writing about the emotiveness of music and how you connect memories so clearly with certain tracks or albums

there's also an autobio out by sidney poitier called measure of a man. muchas respect for a true gentleman of the game. i have to get it next

Lizkins · Post by **Lizkins** » Mon May 07, 2007 4:54 pm

currently reading Black Dahlia by James Elroy. On some peeps recommendation on here. Ok so far.

Read another Disc World book before that by Terry Pratchet. This one was Hogfather.
7/10

Before that i read the second in the Trilogy of Eragon. This one was Eldest. Dragons = radness!
9/10

Post by **huge** » Mon May 07, 2007 4:59 pm

Lizkins wrote:currently reading Black Dahlia by James Elroy. On some peeps recommendation on here. Ok so far.

that book is good. movie is not so good.

Lizkins · Post by **Lizkins** » Mon May 07, 2007 5:02 pm

huge wrote:
Lizkins wrote:currently reading Black Dahlia by James Elroy. On some peeps recommendation on here. Ok so far.
that book is good. movie is not so good.

yeah it was pretty bad, i stupidly watched it a while ago even though i wanted to read the book. silly!

Post by **system** » Mon May 07, 2007 7:23 pm

while we're on the subject of Elroy, LA Confidential sequel is in production.

mecka · Post by **mecka** » Mon May 07, 2007 11:35 pm

rereading Eon by Greg Bear atm. best scifi book i ever read.

Stray · Post by **Stray** » Tue May 08, 2007 11:51 am

mecka wrote:rereading Eon by Greg Bear atm. best scifi book i ever read.

I'll take a guess and assume you have read a few.

Have you read any books by Peter F Hamilton?

Dark Lord Piddle Bottom · Tue May 08, 2007 12:16 pm

Currently reading, The Waffen-SS At War: Hitler's Praetorians 1925-1945

Its a little dry but there is a lot of action however its a bit annoying as I think I've already guessed the ending and i'm only up to Kursk!

Hardy · Post by **Hardy** » Sun May 27, 2007 9:34 pm

I'm currently readin 2 books:

1: Innocent When You Dream, which is a collection of interviews and articles on Tom Waits, and

b) The Power Of Now by Erkhert Tolle. Many people close to me have said this book has totally changed their lives. I'm starting to see why.

Post by **huge** » Sun May 27, 2007 11:26 pm

Hardy wrote:b) The Power Of Now by Erkhert Tolle.

load of tripe.

just finished Shadow of the Wind. It was amazing.

dunno what i've got coming up next. so many to choose from!

Hardy · Post by **Hardy** » Sun May 27, 2007 11:27 pm

huge wrote:
Hardy wrote:b) The Power Of Now by Erkhert Tolle.
load of tripe.

Whatevs

flippo · Post by **flippo** » Sun May 27, 2007 11:52 pm

sneaky hands wrote:one i just started too, seems interesting so far:

"Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed" - jared diamond

I love the subject matter, but I find his writing so clumbsy, akward and repetitious. I felt the book could have been half as long if you took out the redundant stuff.

specialk · Post by **specialk** » Mon May 28, 2007 1:06 am

i recommend 'the corrections' by jonothan franzen. The best book I've ever read.

mecka · Post by **mecka** » Mon May 28, 2007 1:53 am

specialk wrote:i recommend 'the corrections' by jonothan franzen. The best book I've ever read.

hai kate! :waveâ™¦â™¦â™¦:

spiral · Post by **spiral** » Mon May 28, 2007 12:45 pm

system wrote:Tolkien's got a new book out. Quite the feat since he's been dead for over 30 years

reading this now, the first chapter is a bit blah beget blah..yawns
but it has picked up.. shame the chapter titles give away the plot..
the death of blah.. etc

elysium · Post by **elysium** » Mon May 28, 2007 12:58 pm

I'm obsessed with Russian literature at the moment (including books about Russia, not just by Russian authors). I've spent the last few months spending the weekends curled up on my bed reading, quite anti-social and reclusive really, and whenever I get a spare moment, eg on the train etc:

Eugene Onegin - Pushkin
War and Peace / Anna Karenina - Tolstoy
The Master and Margarita - Bulgakov
The Russians - Hendrick Smith

And I'm 3/4 of the way through Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment atm, with Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago all cued up and ready to go on my bookshelf.

Mum accidentally took the last book into Russia in the early 80's when it was still a banned book. When she realised she spent the night in the hotel reading it and then cutting out chapters and flushing them down the loo!

ADD_Boy · Post by **ADD_Boy** » Mon May 28, 2007 1:02 pm

Reading "The Writing on the Wall: China and the West" at the moment ... Very interesting.

http://www.gouldsbooks.com.au/ozleft/chinarev.html

Gonna go meet the author, Will Hutton, tomomrrow night

ghetto kitty · Post by **ghetto kitty** » Mon May 28, 2007 1:08 pm

when i was Os i read about ten books..
the best one was

ben okri > in arcadia

has anyone read his stuff? the famished road, etcetc
amazing african writer....in arcadia was full of such good bits and thoughts and moments throughout the story, that i ended up earmarking half the feckin pages to refer back to later!

C.I.A. · Post by **C.I.A.** » Mon May 28, 2007 1:33 pm

Eugene Onegin - Pushkin
War and Peace / Anna Karenina - Tolstoy
The Master and Margarita - Bulgakov
The Russians - Hendrick Smith

And I'm 3/4 of the way through Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment

How. Fucking. Good.

Seriously, Tolstoy is incredible, and I

Crime and Punishment.

I'm getting a quote from W&P inked on my arm.

BUs Russian literature

Post by **huge** » Mon May 28, 2007 1:35 pm

attn hardy

flippo · Post by **flippo** » Mon May 28, 2007 1:44 pm

mixtress · Post by **mixtress** » Mon May 28, 2007 1:53 pm

C.I.A. wrote:
I'm getting a quote from W&P inked on my arm.

Ooh, which one??

Post by **Friday** » Mon May 28, 2007 1:59 pm

love the russian greats! my dad's family is russian (they moved to oz just before he was born) and when i was about 15 i started to read up on all the old russian literature to 'explore my heritage' as such

there's an amazing amount of incredible writing that's come out of russia over the years...

elysium · Post by **elysium** » Mon May 28, 2007 3:49 pm

C.I.A. wrote:
Seriously, Tolstoy is incredible

Isn't he just! I have never come across an author with more of a grasp of what it means to be human. The way he knows what goes on in people's heads - especially in women's heads (him being a dude and all) blows me away. And these books are so easy to read too - I think people get scared of them cos they are so long, but really, they totally pull you in. I think my friends are going to have to have an intervention with me soon to make me start going out again - I really am quite content sitting around in my pyjamas with my nose in a book for the whole weekend these days!

Which quite are you getting inked on your arm CIA? I like it!

Friday - that is so cool! I wish I had Russian roots after reading all this stuff! I am going back again in August, this time armed with a lot more knowledge than when I went in Feb and knew NOTHING!

calstro · Post by **calstro** » Mon May 28, 2007 3:52 pm

latest book I read was The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

def worth a read.

C.I.A. · Post by **C.I.A.** » Mon May 28, 2007 3:58 pm

elysium wrote:
C.I.A. wrote:
Seriously, Tolstoy is incredible
Isn't he just! I have never come across an author with more of a grasp of what it means to be human. The way he knows what goes on in people's heads - especially in women's heads (him being a dude and all) blows me away. And these books are so easy to read too - I think people get scared of them cos they are so long, but really, they totally pull you in. I think my friends are going to have to have an intervention with me soon to make me start going out again - I really am quite content sitting around in my pyjamas with my nose in a book for the whole weekend these days!

Which quite are you getting inked on your arm CIA? I like it!

Friday - that is so cool! I wish I had Russian roots after reading all this stuff! I am going back again in August, this time armed with a lot more knowledge than when I went in Feb and knew NOTHING!

Werd. I read Anna Karenina after a traumatic bust-up of my own. Where the hell did he get such a grasp on the human condition??

I'll post the quote tomorrow. I'm getting it done in cyrillic.

elysium · Post by **elysium** » Mon May 28, 2007 4:53 pm

It is quite remarkable! I kept highlighting passages... a bad habit that I picked up in uni that I can't break myself of... because they resonated so much with me.

As for the ink: ÑÐ»Ð°Ð²Ð½Ð¾Ðµ Ð¾Ð´Ð½Ð¾ ÑÐµÑÑ‚Ñ€Ð°!

hey you Russian speakers - System I'm looking at you - does that make sense?

In any case that is an ace idea for a tat, especially that it is in cyrillic

C.I.A. · Post by **C.I.A.** » Mon May 28, 2007 5:01 pm

elysium wrote:It is quite remarkable! I kept highlighting passages... a bad habit that I picked up in uni that I can't break myself of... because they resonated so much with me.

As for the ink: ÑÐ»Ð°Ð²Ð½Ð¾Ðµ Ð¾Ð´Ð½Ð¾ ÑÐµÑÑ‚Ñ€Ð°!

hey you Russian speakers - System I'm looking at you - does that make sense?

In any case that is an ace idea for a tat, especially that it is in cyrillic

lol.

My brother gave me his copy of Godel Escher Bach and most of the margins are covered mathematical formluae he has used to test the theorems postulated in the book. As you do if you are postgrad in pure maths

Anyone else read Godel Escher Bach??

Fields of study covered in GEB
Metamathematics
Symmetry
Artificial intelligence
Formal systems, computability
Paradoxes
Genetics
Molecular biology
Logic, number theory
Typography and syntax
Brain, mind, and cognition
Syntax vs. semantics
Free will vs. determinism
Holism vs. reductionism
The Lisp programming language
Fugue, counterpoint, and musical form
Isomorphisms and meaning
Juxtaposed layers of meaning, counterpoint, semiotics, codes
Self-reference, recursion, strange loops
Self-organizing, emergent sense of identity: consciousness (e.g. "I am a true statement, and what I state is that I cannot be proven within this system to which I belong" or "I am truthful, but my truth transcends this universe")
Zen Buddhism

taylem · Post by **taylem** » Mon May 28, 2007 5:15 pm

C.I.A. wrote:
Eugene Onegin - Pushkin
War and Peace / Anna Karenina - Tolstoy
The Master and Margarita - Bulgakov
The Russians - Hendrick Smith

And I'm 3/4 of the way through Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment

How. Fucking. Good.

Seriously, Tolstoy is incredible, and I Crime and Punishment.

I'm getting a quote from W&P inked on my arm.

BUs Russian literature

Mmmmm Russian literature, I'm a sucker too. Currently half way through Solzhenitsyn's - The First Circle (I've read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and The Cancer ward and LOVED them both). Lots of Tolstoy, Gogol, Dostoyevksy, and Chekov on my bookshelf.

C.I.A. · Post by **C.I.A.** » Mon May 28, 2007 5:23 pm

taylem wrote:
C.I.A. wrote:
Eugene Onegin - Pushkin
War and Peace / Anna Karenina - Tolstoy
The Master and Margarita - Bulgakov
The Russians - Hendrick Smith

And I'm 3/4 of the way through Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment

How. Fucking. Good.

Seriously, Tolstoy is incredible, and I Crime and Punishment.

I'm getting a quote from W&P inked on my arm.

BUs Russian literature
Mmmmm Russian literature, I'm a sucker too. Currently half way through Solzhenitsyn's - The First Circle (I've read One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and The Cancer ward and LOVED them both). Lots of Tolstoy, Gogol, Dostoyevksy, and Chekov on my bookshelf.

I haven't read any Solzhenitsyn. Will have to check it out. Ace!!

gnat · Post by **gnat** » Mon May 28, 2007 5:27 pm

Solzhenitsyn sounds like a anti psychotic, or maybe a hair transplant drug

Currently reading Lonely Planet South East Asia

I gots the highlighter out too

taylem · Post by **taylem** » Mon May 28, 2007 5:42 pm

C.I.A. wrote:
elysium wrote:It is quite remarkable! I kept highlighting passages... a bad habit that I picked up in uni that I can't break myself of... because they resonated so much with me.

As for the ink: ÑÐ»Ð°Ð²Ð½Ð¾Ðµ Ð¾Ð´Ð½Ð¾ ÑÐµÑÑ‚Ñ€Ð°!

hey you Russian speakers - System I'm looking at you - does that make sense?

In any case that is an ace idea for a tat, especially that it is in cyrillic
lol.

My brother gave me his copy of Godel Escher Bach and most of the margins are covered mathematical formluae he has used to test the theorems postulated in the book. As you do if you are postgrad in pure maths

Anyone else read Godel Escher Bach??

Fields of study covered in GEB
Metamathematics
Symmetry
Artificial intelligence
Formal systems, computability
Paradoxes
Genetics
Molecular biology
Logic, number theory
Typography and syntax
Brain, mind, and cognition
Syntax vs. semantics
Free will vs. determinism
Holism vs. reductionism
The Lisp programming language
Fugue, counterpoint, and musical form
Isomorphisms and meaning
Juxtaposed layers of meaning, counterpoint, semiotics, codes
Self-reference, recursion, strange loops
Self-organizing, emergent sense of identity: consciousness (e.g. "I am a true statement, and what I state is that I cannot be proven within this system to which I belong" or "I am truthful, but my truth transcends this universe")
Zen Buddhism

GEB gave my brain hurties in a special way. He has a newer book about translation "Le Ton beau de Marot", which is something that has always fascinated me - especially in relation to Russian literature. Like the way sometimes things feel overtranslated, culturally speaking? It can almost feel patronising at times. Whereas other books so fluidly capture the authors original intent (or at least you imagine they do). I'm sure Hoffsteader would have a field day with the idea of original / authentic text and translation....

One of my most favourite books ever, is a Russian dystopian society / science fiction novel from the 20's "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin. It's interesting realising how much direct influence it had on three of my other favourite novels - Orwells 1986, HUxleys Brave New World, and Vonneguts Player Piano.

C.I.A. · Post by **C.I.A.** » Mon May 28, 2007 6:09 pm

taylem wrote:
C.I.A. wrote:
elysium wrote:It is quite remarkable! I kept highlighting passages... a bad habit that I picked up in uni that I can't break myself of... because they resonated so much with me.

As for the ink: ÑÐ»Ð°Ð²Ð½Ð¾Ðµ Ð¾Ð´Ð½Ð¾ ÑÐµÑÑ‚Ñ€Ð°!

hey you Russian speakers - System I'm looking at you - does that make sense?

In any case that is an ace idea for a tat, especially that it is in cyrillic
lol.

My brother gave me his copy of Godel Escher Bach and most of the margins are covered mathematical formluae he has used to test the theorems postulated in the book. As you do if you are postgrad in pure maths

Anyone else read Godel Escher Bach??

Fields of study covered in GEB
Metamathematics
Symmetry
Artificial intelligence
Formal systems, computability
Paradoxes
Genetics
Molecular biology
Logic, number theory
Typography and syntax
Brain, mind, and cognition
Syntax vs. semantics
Free will vs. determinism
Holism vs. reductionism
The Lisp programming language
Fugue, counterpoint, and musical form
Isomorphisms and meaning
Juxtaposed layers of meaning, counterpoint, semiotics, codes
Self-reference, recursion, strange loops
Self-organizing, emergent sense of identity: consciousness (e.g. "I am a true statement, and what I state is that I cannot be proven within this system to which I belong" or "I am truthful, but my truth transcends this universe")
Zen Buddhism
GEB gave my brain hurties in a special way. He has a newer book about translation "Le Ton beau de Marot", which is something that has always fascinated me - especially in relation to Russian literature. Like the way sometimes things feel overtranslated, culturally speaking? It can almost feel patronising at times. Whereas other books so fluidly capture the authors original intent (or at least you imagine they do). I'm sure Hoffsteader would have a field day with the idea of original / authentic text and translation....

One of my most favourite books ever, is a Russian dystopian society / science fiction novel from the 20's "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin. It's interesting realising how much direct influence it had on three of my other favourite novels - Orwells 1986, HUxleys Brave New World, and Vonneguts Player Piano.

"We" is now on my "must read" list. Loved 1984, BNW, Clockwork Orange & Piano Player. Russian Dystopia. Fantastic. Thanks Taylem

taylem · Post by **taylem** » Mon May 28, 2007 6:13 pm

gnat wrote:Solzhenitsyn sounds like a anti psychotic, or maybe a hair transplant drug

Currently reading Lonely Planet South East Asia

I gots the highlighter out too

Post by **huge** » Mon May 28, 2007 6:16 pm

C.I.A. · Post by **C.I.A.** » Mon May 28, 2007 6:27 pm

specialk · Post by **specialk** » Mon May 28, 2007 6:31 pm

ADD_Boy wrote:Reading "The Writing on the Wall: China and the West" at the moment ... Very interesting.

http://www.gouldsbooks.com.au/ozleft/chinarev.html

Gonna go meet the author, Will Hutton, tomomrrow night

I think i read a review of that in the Age on the weekend. I was interested in reading it, but the review said that there was no discussion at all of Australia's relationship with China so that put me off a little.

Charlie73 · Post by **Charlie73** » Mon May 28, 2007 7:24 pm

about to start:

Realities of Race: An analysis of the Concepts of Race and Racism and their Relevance to Australian Society.....

Is heavy read, so will alternate with something lighter... Will let you all know how goes it......

Picked it up at the Koorie Heritage Centre on Kings Way, for $6... cannot beat that price

Hardy · Post by **Hardy** » Mon May 28, 2007 10:00 pm

huge wrote:attn hardy

She's obviously only carrying it for show. Everyone knows she can't read.

mixtress · Post by **mixtress** » Mon May 28, 2007 10:22 pm

Hardy wrote:
huge wrote:attn hardy

She's obviously only carrying it for show. Everyone knows she can't read.

Let me guess, that pic was taken after her sentence was handed down, but before the appeal. If she's read the Holy Bible, I'll buy a hat and then eat it.

C.I.A. · Post by **C.I.A.** » Tue May 29, 2007 10:16 am

Hardy wrote:
huge wrote:attn hardy

She's obviously only carrying it for show. Everyone knows she can't read.

lol. On the same theme, I think it was Elle Macpherson who once explained the lack of books in her apartment by saying "you should only read things you have written yourself".

gnat · Post by **gnat** » Tue May 29, 2007 10:24 am

taylem wrote:
gnat wrote:Solzhenitsyn sounds like a anti psychotic, or maybe a hair transplant drug

Currently reading Lonely Planet South East Asia

I gots the highlighter out too

Post by **system** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:28 am

elysium wrote:ÑÐ»Ð°Ð²Ð½Ð¾Ðµ Ð¾Ð´Ð½Ð¾ ÑÐµÑÑ‚Ñ€Ð°!

if you feel that way about your sister, sure.

Post by **system** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:31 am

just finished Michael Chabon's "The Yiddish Policeman's Union". approved.

Post by **system** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:33 am

C.I.A. wrote:Anyone else read Godel Escher Bach??

in the distant past, yep.

Fields of study covered in GEB
Metamathematics
Symmetry
Artificial intelligence
Formal systems, computability
Paradoxes
Genetics
Molecular biology
Logic, number theory
Typography and syntax
Brain, mind, and cognition
Syntax vs. semantics
Free will vs. determinism
Holism vs. reductionism
The Lisp programming language
Fugue, counterpoint, and musical form
Isomorphisms and meaning
Juxtaposed layers of meaning, counterpoint, semiotics, codes
Self-reference, recursion, strange loops
Self-organizing, emergent sense of identity: consciousness (e.g. "I am a true statement, and what I state is that I cannot be proven within this system to which I belong" or "I am truthful, but my truth transcends this universe")
Zen Buddhism

many of the above (i'm looking at you, lispy) contributed to the blur that was my 20s.

C.I.A. · Post by **C.I.A.** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:34 am

system wrote:
elysium wrote:ÑÐ»Ð°Ð²Ð½Ð¾Ðµ Ð¾Ð´Ð½Ð¾ ÑÐµÑÑ‚Ñ€Ð°!
if you feel that way about your sister, sure.

Post by **system** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:37 am

C.I.A. wrote:
system wrote:
elysium wrote:ÑÐ»Ð°Ð²Ð½Ð¾Ðµ Ð¾Ð´Ð½Ð¾ ÑÐµÑÑ‚Ñ€Ð°!
if you feel that way about your sister, sure.

"slavnoe odno sestra" is the phrase in cyrillic. what should it have been?

C.I.A. · Post by **C.I.A.** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:38 am

system wrote:
C.I.A. wrote:Anyone else read Godel Escher Bach??
in the distant past, yep.

Fields of study covered in GEB
Metamathematics
Symmetry
Artificial intelligence
Formal systems, computability
Paradoxes
Genetics
Molecular biology
Logic, number theory
Typography and syntax
Brain, mind, and cognition
Syntax vs. semantics
Free will vs. determinism
Holism vs. reductionism
The Lisp programming language
Fugue, counterpoint, and musical form
Isomorphisms and meaning
Juxtaposed layers of meaning, counterpoint, semiotics, codes
Self-reference, recursion, strange loops
Self-organizing, emergent sense of identity: consciousness (e.g. "I am a true statement, and what I state is that I cannot be proven within this system to which I belong" or "I am truthful, but my truth transcends this universe")
Zen Buddhism
many of the above (i'm looking at you, lispy) contributed to the blur that was my 20s.

Speaking of translations, I read somewhere that GEB has only recently been translated (20 years on) because of the intertwined use of language as an example and explanation. I don't envy the people who got to translate things like sentences that read the same thing both ways.

C.I.A. · Post by **C.I.A.** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:40 am

system wrote:
C.I.A. wrote:
system wrote: if you feel that way about your sister, sure.

"slavnoe odno sestra" is the phrase in cyrillic. what should it have been?

Ah. That's a nice thing to say